"Ran Xi Daoyou."
"Xun Kun Daoyou."
The two met and exchanged courteous salutes. Greetings done.
Seeing that Yunxi's cultivation had advanced again, Xun Kun said politely, "Last time things happened too suddenly. I never properly took my leave of Ran Xi Daoyou, and Hao Qing Zūnzhě even had to send me back to my sect in person. I am ashamed."
Yunxi waved with a smile. "Who could have expected the evil cultivator to self-detonate his Yuányīng? It was my negligence that gave him an opening. Thankfully, Xun Kun Daoyou was unharmed. Otherwise it would have been hard to give an account to Lin Lang Zūnzhě."
The corner of Xun Kun's mouth lifted. He believed Yunxi spoke nothing but the plain truth, so he followed her lead. "Speaking of that incident, I truly must thank Ran Xi Daoyou. Following the thread from Xin Qiu Jian, my sect netted several big fish and swept Kunmo Sect clean."
"Good. Though we belong to different sects, we are all cultivators of Weiyu Realm. When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer. Evil cultivators are our common enemy."
Yunxi answered with a smile.
Xun Kun nodded and walked alongside her. He made no move to introduce the female cultivator trailing behind him.
The woman grew anxious and stepped forward. "Master—"
Before the two characters were fully out, Xun Kun turned and cut her off. "Jin Can, this Zhēnjūn has no intention of taking a disciple. You should return first."
His words could not have been clearer. Even so, the female cultivator bit her lip, casting a look at Yunxi that said she was ready to cling like dogskin plaster.
As a fellow female cultivator, Yunxi read the guard, jealousy, and unwillingness in Jin Can's eyes at a glance. She smiled faintly. "Why glare at this Zhēnjūn? Xun Kun Daoyou and I are merely friends. Decide whether you wish to be Xun Kun's disciple or his Dao companion, then answer.
In the cultivation world, you may only choose one of those bonds. Become master and disciple, and you are destined not to be Dao companions.
If you think that by becoming Xun Kun's disciple you can stay by his side, you are gravely mistaken. He is destined to ascend to the Spirit Realm before you.
Once a cultivator reaches Divine Transformation, closed-door cultivation is counted in centuries. Whether as disciple or Dao companion, your time at Xun Kun's side will not be long.
Most importantly, whether apprenticeship or Dao companion, both require mutual willingness. As things stand—"
Yunxi left the sentence half-said and shook her head. Anyone could see it was hopeless.
Jin Can's composure cracked, for Yunxi had hit every thought in her heart. She turned to Xun Kun. His eyes held not a ripple, only deep impatience and displeasure. She could only grit her teeth, bow farewell, and flee like the wind toward Kunmo Sect's quarters.
Once she was gone, Yunxi said with a smile, "Xun Kun Daoyou, this Zhēnjūn divines a peach-blossom tribulation in your near future. Do be careful."
She had meant to tease, but the listener took it to heart. Xun Kun's gaze flicked toward the direction Jin Can had vanished, and a conclusion settled in him. He cupped his hands. "Thank you, Ran Xi Daoyou, for getting me out of that. I did not expect Jin Can to be so lacking in sense. I have made you laugh."
Yunxi waved. "Think nothing of it. If you have no such intention, make it plain. Do not invite trouble for yourself."
"I know. I have already made my stance clear to my master. If not for the Five Region Grand Tournament, I would have shut myself away to break through to late-stage Nascent Soul. I would not have these annoyances."
Xun Kun, for once, allowed himself a complaint.
"Come, let us meet Yun Chen Fózǐ and Han Lian Daoyou."
Yunxi was not one to meddle, but the Baohua Mountain secret realm had given her and Xun Kun the trust of comrades, and in the matter of Xin Qiu Jian he had stood on her side. She acknowledged him as a friend and offered one extra sentence.
Clearly, Xun Kun took it to heart. They dropped the topic and went to the appointed teahouse in the market.
The four came from the four regions. Naturally, when they gathered, they spoke first of what had happened since the Baohua Mountain secret realm closed.
Among the four, Yunxi had risen to the top in cultivation, drawing heartfelt sighs from the others. The conversation then turned to purging evil cultivators.
Yun Chen Fózǐ spoke first. "Amitabha. The Eastern Region is a stronghold of Buddhist cultivators. Few evil cultivators have infiltrated. Those we uncovered were Dao cultivators who practiced or resided long-term in the East. Still, we do not relax our vigilance. We keep constant watch on unfamiliar faces."
Han Lian toyed with her jade-green teacup, brows knit. "Jihan Gate found a lair of evil cultivators. It lies in a deserted secret realm, year-round snow and wind, rarely trod by man. The resources inside are exhausted and it has long been ignored.
If not for catching an insider, we would never have found it. My master believes the Northern Region has more than one such lair."
Hearing this, Yunxi immediately used spiritual power to outline the shape of a command token."Han Lian Daoyou, is entry to the abandoned secret realm controlled by this kind of token?"
Han Lian glanced and nodded. "Yes. You need a token to enter. The one we found was nearly identical in size and shape to what you have drawn. Only the engravings differ slightly."
Yunxi thought a moment, then used spiritual power to sketch the token she had seized from Liu Moyan and had all three take a look.
All three shook their heads. They had not seen the same sigil pattern.
Xun Kun rubbed his cup. "Ran Xi Daoyou, you found two tokens. Does that mean the Western Region has two evil-cultivator lairs?"
"Yes. In one secret realm, the evil cultivators discovered I had come knocking and tried to drag me down with them. They died and destroyed a relatively stable secret realm in the process.
I have not yet found the other lair. I only intercepted this token. I do not even know if it will work when the time comes." Yunxi spread her hands helplessly.
After examining the sketches, Han Lian said, "Though we have not yet located their main nest, at least it shows evil cultivators are using secret realms as lairs, and that these tokens let them pass in and out while a realm is closed, avoiding our pursuit.
Secret realms always open eventually. They have worked within for so long that the disciples entering to train will not be their match. The casualties are impossible to predict."
Yunxi nodded, thoughtful. "Han Lian Daoyou's analysis is sound. Evil cultivators dare not run wild in Weiyu Realm in the open. If their aim is to grind down the righteous, then using secret realms as slaughterhouses is the best method.
Some secret realms carry cultivation limits. Nascent Soul cultivators like us cannot enter lower-grade realms, and even if we force our way in, our cultivation will be suppressed. Evil cultivators are using that to set their board."
The more she reasoned it out, the clearer Yunxi's thoughts became. Their move ran deep indeed. Use newly emerged realms to seize and corrupt elite disciples. Use stable realms as lairs. When a realm opens, butcher those who enter to temper themselves. Step by step, cut down the rising generation of Weiyu Realm. It was a chain of interlocked blows, a full-spectrum strike on the realm's cultivators.
Yun Chen, Han Lian, and Xun Kun all grew solemn at her analysis. If Ran Xi had judged it right, then secret realms across Weiyu Realm were no longer safe.
A glint of thought crossed Han Lian's heroic features. She spoke: "After the Five Region Grand Tournament, the Northern Region's 'Misty Snow Domain' will open. Will you go and take a look?"